Volkswagen ID. Buzz vs Mini Countryman
What's the difference?

Volkswagen ID. Buzz

$56,880 - $128,880

2025 price

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Mini Countryman

$45,900 - $81,800

2025 price

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Mercedes-Benz Sprinter

Polestar 2 Long Range

Polestar 2 Standard Range

Summary

2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz

2025 Mini Countryman

By James Cleary

By Emily Agar

Safety Rating

Engine Type

Not Applicable, 0.0L

Inline 4, 2.0L

Fuel Type

Electric

Premium Unleaded Petrol

Fuel Efficiency

0.0L/100km (combined)

7.7L/100km (combined)

Seating

Likes

Uber-cool design
Practicality
Value

Gorgeous Mini styling
Strong on-road performance
Lots of personalisation available

Dislikes

Some wind noise
No spare wheel
So-so steering feel

Lacking a few features for a top-grade model
An expensive endeavour for a Mini
Not much separates the two trim levels

2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz Summary

You might call it six degrees of Kombi separation. Somewhere, somehow just about all of us have a VW bus lurking in our family and friends' back story. And this is the latest version of that familiar box on wheels to hit the Aussie market.

It’s the premium, sportier, AWD GTX version of the pure-electric Volkswagen ID.Buzz.

This one-box wonder hits the retro-futurist ball out of the park and we attended its local launch to explore whether what’s under the skin supports the promise of its stunning exterior.

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2025 Mini Countryman Summary

The Mini Countryman is the not-so-mini cousin to the iconic and smaller Mini Cooper.

The new generation offers a larger body-size, fun new interiors and a whole suite of updated technology.

We're in the flagship John Cooper Works grade in Favoured trim to find out if this small SUV is still urban-friendly and fun after all of these changes.

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Deep dive comparison

2025 Volkswagen ID. Buzz 2025 Mini Countryman

Verdict

The only way to make this car cooler would be to add a split fold-out windscreen and a tube steel luggage rack on the roof.

It’s fast, super practical, comfortable and guaranteed to put a smile on the face of premium family buyers ready to go for something different. And that smile will extend to just about everyone who lays eyes on it. I love it.

Note: CarsGuide attended this event as a guest of the manufacturer, with travel, accommodation and meals provided.

Verdict

The new Mini Countryman John Cooper Works in Favoured trim offers everything you’d expect it to - the iconic Mini styling, a powerful driving performance and a well-equipped cabin. It’s a wonderfully quick urban dweller that you can park anywhere but is just as happy on the open-road. For me, this is pure fun and offers more personality than a lot of its rivals.

Volkswagen ID. Buzz vs Mini Countryman What's the difference?

Summary

Deep dive comparison

Verdict

Verdict

Volkswagen ID. Buzz vs Mini Countryman
What's the difference?